Today DC Prez Paul Levitz claimed that the new film tops Batman Begins, and from what I just saw, I'm starting to agree.  Introducing the world premiere of the trailer a couple of weeks before it hits theaters, Levitz implored the audience not to divulge its secrets.  This was a request, he said, that was coming directly from director Chris Nolan.

I'm going to honor the implicit pledge I made by staying in my seat after this point.  Instead, I'm going to provide my reactions to the trailer... which, to be honest, is all I'm really capable of doing anyway.  It's not as if this new trailer is chock full of clear plot points, exposition, or startling set-pieces that I'm just dying to reveal.  For those familiar with the previous trailer, this is pretty much more of the same, just fleshed out a bit more.  And for those who have been following all the rumors and have a pretty good sense of Batman's universe to begin with, you'll be able to read between the lines of what follows in any case...
 
*For the first time we really get a sense of why the late Heath Ledger's performance has been the focus of so much buzz (and I mean artistically, not as morbid gossip).  His creepy voice, off-kilter way of carrying himself, and fearless lack of vanity are very effective.

*As far as the Joker as a character is concerned, his goals and motivations come across much more clearly.  The first trailer portrayed him as a lone wolf, but here he's shown more as a leader, even a mastermind.

*The biggest difference between this and the original trailer is that now we're treated, in a veiled kind of way, to the genesis of another iconic Batman villain as well.  To complicate matters, this character as a pre-transformation regular guy has Bruce Wayne's soulmate Rachel as his main squeeze.  That may not come as any surprise, but I was struck by the Superman Returns vibe that resulted:  superhero takes gal pal for granted, and soon he's on the outside looking in.   

*Between this character, the Joker, Alfred (Michael Caine delivering one-liners), Rachel, and Bruce Wayne all sharing screen time, I was left with the odd sensation that Batman was missing from his own trailer.  That's not true of course, but that's the way it felt since much of the Batman footage seemed to be a repetition or simple extension of things we've already seen--either in the first trailer or in the first movie.  But this is not necessarily a bad thing:  if a trailer is as intriguing and exciting as this one without the title character playing much of a role, one can only imagine how great the movie has the potential to be.